One of the best things I have done to boost my personal sales — and that I encourage my agents to do — is make a daily habit of using LinkedIn. The platform is great for building better relationships with an existing contact database (the “have mets”) and fostering new relationships with the “haven’t mets.” While many folks are deactivating their Facebook profiles or using information-lite apps like Instagram or TikTok, LinkedIn has become a crucial source for networking.

LinkedIn asks us for our personal contact information: cell phone, email, birthday, and we — as well as potential leads — give it out, knowing that career opportunities, headhunters and teambuilding await us on this trusted site. Whether someone is looking for new employment or is the person doing the talent search, LinkedIn is the place to go for accurate information. That means that we as Realtors should be connecting with all of our database — both new and existing contacts — on LinkedIn to ensure we have the most up-to-date details. Unlike other social media platforms, people come to this site actively seeking engagement on a professional level — and giving out the personal data that makes meaningful connections possible.

A relatively new feature called “Catch Up” allows us to see our connections’ birthdays, job changes, work anniversaries, educational advancements and other important life events. What a great way to reach out, reconnect, celebrate and enhance our relationships! Even more, if done on a daily basis, the “Catch Up” section of LinkedIn allows us to update our CRM with the latest information from our contacts, ensuring that our database is relevant, timely and accurate. Imagine having the birthdays of each contact, as well as updated email, cell numbers and work information right at your fingertips. It’s actually already there, right on LinkedIn.

Of course, this means that if you are going to connect with all of your contacts on LinkedIn, you not only need to keep your own profile updated but make sure it’s engaging as well. Consider regularly posting market statistics, helpful tips, consumer reviews, new listings, open houses, recent closings — the world is your oyster on this platform, but you must post consistently. Oftentimes, we Realtors are so focused on the “fun” and “go-to” social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, that we forget about LinkedIn, when in reality, it should be our baseline platform. There’s simply too much good content from your clientele and contact list for you to neglect it.

So, how do you make a habit of doing this? It all starts in the palm of your hand, with a simple calendar reminder. I set an 8 a.m. prompt on my phone calendar to check in on LinkedIn for those “catch up” moments. When I do this, I have my CRM open and ready to update my contacts with any new information that comes in. And as I am updating my current contacts, I am also on the hunt for new contacts that share something in common (school alumni, former co-workers, etc.). I’m also adding folks I have in my database but have yet to connect with on the network. Users can even sync up their phone calendar, contacts and email using the “My Network” tab. 

And one last note: Yes, you can and should add other real estate professionals to your LinkedIn connections. Why wouldn’t you want to network within your industry for referrals, generate more traction on your listings, build a pipeline for future buyer needs and share advice? The wealth of knowledge on the site is enormous, you just need to carve out a bit of time each day to harness it. Feel free to connect with me there and see how I post and share, and let’s see what we can bring each other as we build community, both within our real estate realm and beyond.

Nick Libert is the founder and CEO of EXIT Strategy Realty.